Falling Into Command
by Stephen Ratliff
Summary: Marrissa Stories #25, Last Romulan War. In which our hero ends up commanding the fleet after a Romulan Attack on Earth


Star Trek   
The Next Generation  
The Marrissa Stories:  
Falling Into Command  
by Stephen Ratliff  
  
^L  
Prologue  
  
Even with the early victory of then Captain Marrissa Picard, the  
war of Romulan Desolution did not begin well for the Federation. The  
Romulan Cloaking device was the ban of the early days of the war. Soon  
it would be countered, but early on it was deadly.  
Successful Romulan strikes to the heart of the Federation drove  
fear into the hearts of it's population. The heroism and bravery of the  
new generation gave them hope, but until they fell into command,  
confidence wasn't to return.  
This is the story of the early days of the war of Romulan  
Desolution and how the new generation fell into command ...  
  
^L  
Chapter One  
  
"You're on my turf now." The phase echoed in Marrissa's mind.  
The Commander of the Romulan forces she was facing had said that when  
Marrissa's fleet had arrived at the Romulan Starbase Five. It certainly  
looked like Admiral Saavik Jeric's turf. Marrissa's forty vessels were  
being harassed at every turn. Her two fighter divisions were having  
better success, but not much. Attacking Romulan Starbases was not  
something that Marrissa had a lot of experience doing, this was not her  
turf.  
  
"The Wellington reports the Romulans keep making runs on his  
upper forward shields," Commander Jay Gordon said from his seat next to  
Marrissa. "They're down to 20 percent."  
"Tell your father to invert his ship," Marrissa replied.  
"Invert?" Jay inquired.   
"Turn it upside down," Rear Admiral Marrissa Picard answered.  
"It really makes no difference which way is up to us."  
"Aye, sir," her husband grinned and typed a response to the  
Wellington.  
"In fact, conn, lets do that ourselves," Marrissa ordered.  
"Nothing like the unexpected to give your enemy pause."  
"Captain, I'm getting no response from the Wellington," Jay  
announced, worry evident in his voice.  
"Put the Wellington on screen," Picard ordered.  
An Ambassador class starship appeared, a Romulan scout pealing  
away, it's hull shaved across the bottom. The Wellington had a gash  
across the top of her saucer, right down the middle. The bridge was  
gone, and several decks below were open to space.  
On the bridge of the Enterprise, Marrissa had a few words for  
it, "Time to change the venue. Gather us together again. Kathy, have  
the fighters return. Alex, do we have a nebula nearby."  
"Yes, at 170 mark twenty, distance 1.34 parsecs," the Klingon at  
Ops responded. "FGC-47."  
"Ah, Clara's friend's house," Marrissa remarked.  
  
Meanwhile in the Wellington's main engineering, things were  
about to improve. Jacquelynn Christine Gordon was the Kid's Crew  
Captain on the Wellington. Her father, the Captain, though a lot of  
her. During a battle she was posted in Main Engineering as a back up  
commander in event of a bridge failure. Normal she would be second in  
line in Engineering for command, but the Chief Engineer had been injured  
as a result of a coolant leak. It didn't surprise Lynn, as she was  
called, when the computer announced. "Command transferred to Main  
Engineering, Jacquelynn Gordon now in command." What it announced next,  
however made her stomach tie itself into knots. "Bridge and deck two  
destroyed, hull breach on decks 3,4, and 5."  
Fortunately, Lynn was not one to dwell on the personal  
consequences of that statement once she got command, as both her mother  
and father were on that bridge. "Send damage control teams to seal off  
the effected areas. Spick, helm is being transferred to your station.  
French, you have tactical. Computer change master status display to  
Main Viewscreen, forward view." Lynn Gordon shot off in rapid fire.  
Then noticing the shocked faces of the crew, no her crew now, she  
continued. "You heard the Computer, I'm in command now. Now snap to  
it."  
Immediately the crew snapped to the bidding of their new  
adolescent commander. Some actually preferred to be under her command.  
Lynn was known to have a much more easy going style of command than her  
strict father.  
"Message from the Enterprise, Mrs. Gordon," a Engineer who had  
taken up the duties of Operations.  
"What is it? and it's Lynn, I'm only twelve," the young  
acting-Captain replied.  
"They are requesting our status," he replied.  
"I'll respond," Lynn said. "Spick make us look dead.  
Wellington to Enterprise."  
"Enterprise," her older brother Jay's voice came worried. "What  
happened Wellington?"  
"The scout sheared off our bridge," Lynn replied. "Jacquelynn  
Gordon now in command. What are your orders?"  
"Move up behind and below the Enterprise, Lynn," Jay responded.  
"We'll cover your bridge problem until you can rig some shielding  
there."  
"Actually Jay, I've got an idea," Lynn announced. "They're are  
quite a bit of ships between me and you. If you can chase one over  
here, I'll play dead until you arrive."  
There was a pause as Jay discussed Lynn's plan with his wife and  
commanding officer. Then he returned, "Agreed, we'll be over there in  
five minutes. Enterprise out."  
^L  
Chapter Two  
  
Captain Deanna Riker was enjoying her tour of Utopia Planitia  
Ship Yards orbiting Mars. She was due to assume command of a starship  
sometime soon. She didn't know which, but felt comfortable in the  
knowledge that Star Fleet wouldn't give her anything she couldn't  
handle. She suspected that she'd get either a Intrepid class or one of  
the new Farragut class transport ships. One thing was for certain, she  
wasn't getting one of the ship's of the line. Only experienced Captains  
got Ambassador, Sovereign, Nebula, or Nova Class Starships.   
Of course that didn't stop her from coveting one of them, as she  
overlooked the ship yard. There were a dozen Nebula Class starships, in  
various states of construction, close by. A couple Sovereign Class  
starships where off to the right, the Kirk and the Harriman. Off to the  
left was a half a dozen Ambassador Class starships. Those where not  
what Deanna was looking at, no her eyes were on the biggest ship in the  
yard, the Nova Class starship Yorktown. Riker sighed.  
"Beautiful ship isn't she," a voice said from behind her.  
Deanna turned to greet the Commander of the yards, "Yes she is,  
Commander McIvery," she said to the young red-head.  
"Adrian, please," Commander McIvey said. "I despise ranks."  
The two stood a while looking out at the ivory skin of the  
nearly complete starship. The long warp engines were still off line,  
their lights dark, but otherwise the Yorktown stood proud, her lights  
bright, her registry dark on the white hull. NCC-80100 USS Yorktown.  
"Care for a tour of the Yorktown, Captain?" Adrian McIvery  
asked.  
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Deanna Riker accepted.  
"No trouble at all," McIvery replied. "I have to do my weekly  
tour today anyway."  
"How much longer until she's commissioned," Troi-Riker asked, as  
they walked to the shuttle bay of the Yard's Main Office.  
"A week from today," McIvery responded. "At least with the  
launch of this one, I knew the name a month before hand."  
"Thank the Fleet Admiral's son Nicholas for that one," Riker  
said. "He noticed that all the aircraft carrier's names that the old  
United States used in World War II were available. So he suggested the  
naming scheme for the class after the name Enterprise was chosen for the  
last, and you know how that naming commission likes schemes."  
"I know, we've just ran out of state names for the Ambassador  
class with the Hawaii set for commissioning in two weeks."  
  
The Enterprise and the other ships under Rear Admiral Marrissa  
Picard's command drifted silently in nebula FGC-47, confident that the  
life forms inhabiting the cloud would leave them alone, for the most  
part. In the Enterprise's observation lounge, Marrissa, Commander Jay  
Gordon, and Lieutenant Commander Clara Sutter were going over the status  
of the fleet. Lieutenant Commander Clara Sutter-Rozhenko was reporting  
the engineering status of the fleet, a task which she worked as an  
intermediary for Marrissa. Commander Jay Gordon was sitting glum to his  
wife's right, going though the motions of duty. His parent's death had  
hit him hard.  
"We lost the Lionheart," Clara began with the worse. "The  
Gorkon's port nacelle is off-line, but Captain Dax reports that it  
should be back on line sometime later today. The Johnson is suffering  
from an intermittent loss of her port shields. The Clinton needs a new  
weapons fire control unit, temporary repairs expected to be completed  
tomorrow. And of course, the Wellington is lacking a bridge and deck  
two."  
"What about our status, Clara?" Marrissa asked.  
"Some minor repairs, a dozen of our fighters will require major  
work, and two dozen some minor work," Clara informed. "In general, if  
it isn't fixed by the end of the next shift, I'll be most dissatisfied  
with my crew."  
"I'll bet," Marrissa smiled. "Jay, personnel situation?"  
"The Wellington has lost her command crew, my little sister  
Jacquelynn is in command at present," Jay droned. "We have most of the  
crew of the Lionheart, but the command crew went down with the ship."  
"Speaking of the Wellington, what happens to your younger  
siblings, now that your parents are gone?" Clara asked. Jay looked like  
he was about to cry. "Sorry if the subject bothers you."  
"I'm afraid Jacquelynn and Jeffery are going to be joining the  
ever increasing Captain's Quarters," Marrissa stated. "How I'm going to  
deal with the Jacqueline/lynn problem, I have no idea."  
"Easy, same way I do," Jay replied in a monotone. "Your sister  
is Jackie, mine is Lynn. That's the least of our worries."  
"Yes, but it's nice to worry about something simple for a  
change," Marrissa replied. "Now, you agree that we are going to have to  
send the Wellington back to a space dock."  
"Agreed," Clara confirmed.  
"Jay, I'm appointing you acting Captain of the Wellington,"  
Marrissa ordered. "Tomorrow at 1200 hours, the Wellington, the Clinton,  
and the Undaunted will depart for Earth. You'll have the coded  
dispatches and a new code sheet for delivery to Star Fleet Command for  
communicating with this fleet, and be in command of the detachment."  
"Are you sure that's wise, after all you are close ..." Jay  
began.  
"I've got two more months to go, Jay," Marrissa snapped. "I  
expect you back in half that. The Hawaii will be joining our fleet  
soon. Hitch a ride back on her. Now, go relieve your little sister and  
tell her that she and her little brother are expected on the Enterprise  
in an hour. Oh and have our Romulan Advisor report in here."  
"Aye, Aye, Mara," Jay replied, snapping to attention and exiting  
the room.  
"Is he seeing Martin?" Clara asked, as the seemingly emotionless  
First Officer left the room.  
"Yes, he's seeing our mischievous Ship's Counselor," Marrissa  
replied.  
"Do you want to take bets on whether or not Martin will object  
to Jay commanding the Wellington?" Clara asked.  
"Object, he all ready has," Marrissa replied. "I knew I was  
going to have to send the Wellington back as soon as I saw that bridge,  
or rather were the Wellington's bridge use to be and apparently Martin  
did as well."  
"He's been around you too long," Clara remarked.  
"That may be so, but he couldn't find me a workable  
alternative," Marrissa responded. "After all, you're out, because  
Doctor Johnson doesn't want you to budge from this ship. Alex is out  
because you'd kill me if I sent him."  
"You better not send him any where," Clara grumbled.  
"Like I said, you'd kill me," Marrissa continued. "And Shayna  
just doesn't have enough command experience."  
"You left her in command of the bridge," Clara noted.  
Marrissa looked over to the bridge observation windows,  
pretending to check the statement. Lieutenant Shayna Sachs' head was  
visable in the command chair, the rest of her body being hid by the  
chair. "So I did. Imagine that," Marrissa replied.  
Clara smiled as the port side door opened reveling the First  
Fleet's Romulan advisor. She was wearing a civilian tunic of light blue  
with darker blue highlights. Her blond hair came down to her shoulders,  
held in place with a beret, and still cut in a severe bang. "Sela Yarr  
reporting as ordered, sir."  
"Come sit down, Sela," Marrissa requested. "How are the elvan  
sprits today?" She used the ship's crew's pet name for Sela's three  
daughters. Their long blond hair and pointed ears had led to the  
nickname. None of them where objecting.  
"My daughters are driving me nuts as usual," Sela sighed. "You  
wouldn't care to have Jackie invite them over? It would be good  
practice." Sela's now twelve year old triplets were very bored on the  
Enterprise, as they were confined to quarters when the Enterprise was at  
red or yellow alert. As the Enterprise had been at that state for the  
past three days, they jumped at the entrance of someone new and  
proceeded to annoy the hell out of them.  
"No thank you, I'm sure Jay's siblings will be enough," Marrissa  
stated. "We really should do something about the Enterprise's sudden  
increase in children."  
"What about a kid's crew?" Clara asked.   
Marrissa stared at Clara, and then broke out laughing. "Why  
didn't I think of that?" Marrissa asked.  
"Too close to the problem," Sela remarked.  
"That might be it," Marrissa said. "Now lets see if we can  
figure out what our opponent is trying to do."  
  
Two dozen Lieutenant Commanders, Five dozen Lieutenants, and  
several score of additional personnel were waiting at the Star Fleet  
Museum orbiting Uranus for a pick up. They had been there for a day,  
and were getting bored. Why Star Fleet had told them to wait there was  
beyond them. After all, who would pick up personnel at a museum, and  
who would need 400 people?  
^L  
Chapter Three  
  
Jean-Luc Picard, Commanding Admiral, Star Fleet, was buried in  
paper work. Form after form after form crossed his desk, all demanding  
he do something, know something, or acquire something. He hadn't  
appreciated his Chief of Staff, Sibek, until he had to go without for a  
couple days ... Why did he pick now to go into pan-farr?  
His nine year old son, Nicholas took in the view of his father  
shuffling PADDs. It looked like his father would never get done. It  
was already two hours past supertime, and it didn't look like his father  
was planning on leaving anytime soon. Since his mother was out  
commanding the Pasteur under his sister Marrissa's command, and Jackie  
was serving as Computer Security Officer on Marrissa's ship, Nick and  
his father were living in 'bachelor quarters' on the edge of San  
Francisco Bay. Unfortunately, the replicator wasn't hooked up yet.  
"Are you planning on coming home soon, or should I eat over at  
the Academy," Nick asked, as his father shuffled PADDs  
"You stay away from the Academy, I don't need another Jackie,"  
his father mumbled, making some notations on one report.  
Nick was use to this refrain, and it didn't bother him. It  
recalled the way his sister Jackie had gotten into Star Fleet very  
earily. She had sat in on classes at the Academy from age five onward,  
then when opportunity arose, got herself an commission by helping with  
Star Fleet Computer Security. He had no intention on joining Star Fleet  
like his older siblings. Command didn't interest him, space was nothing  
special, and he'd rather be out working in the vineyard. But, Nick did  
want to eat sometime tonight. "Then I guess, you'll have to come home,"  
Nick replied. "Someone has to cook dinner, and I can't cook."  
"What time is it?" Jean-Luc inquired, looking up. Then he saw  
the clock. "2000 hours! you should have called earlier."  
As his father got up and walked around his desk to join Nick, he  
replied, "I tried, but you wouldn't answer, and the new security guy  
wouldn't let me in. I had to use one of Jackie's programs to get in."  
"You're on the visitor's list," Jean-Luc Picard replied. "Why  
didn't they let you in?"  
"Something about regulations involving children," Nick replied.  
"I didn't catch it all."  
"Where should I transfer him?" Jean-Luc asked, beginning a game.  
"We've got a war going on, how about the front line?" Nick  
replied, as they entered the turbolift.  
"Lobby. No, that would mean putting him under your sister  
Marrissa's command, and I don't think she'd appreciate that," his father  
remarked, shooting that down as the turbolift decended. They exited the  
turbolift into the front lobby.  
"You're right, what about the Cardassian border?" Nick  
responded. He and his father had played this game since he was five,  
started with simple suggestions, then suggesting more and more  
outrageous postings until they couldn't think of any more, and concluded  
that the officer in question should stay where they were. "There is an  
opening on Deep Space Nine."  
"Under Vice Admiral Sisko? I don't think he'd like that,"  
Picard responded, as they exited the building. Rear Admiral Will Riker  
was on his way in. "Good evening, Will."  
"Admiral, on your way out I see," the long time number one  
replied.  
"Nick finally called me to dinner," Jean-Luc Picard responded.  
"And you?"  
"Captain La Forge had some problems with some people in supply,  
I told him I'd see to it," Riker replied.  
"Carry on then Will, I expect to see you at the Vineyard next  
Sunday," Jean-Luc responded.  
"I'll be there," Riker responded.  
"Now where were we?" Jean-Luc Picard asked his son.  
"I was just about to suggest Jelico's World, there is an opening  
at the prison," Nick grinned, as they entered the air tram to their  
home.  
"Interesting, but I think the gravity might be a problem," his  
father replied. "1.5 G is a little much for someone use to Earth."  
"Then there is the lunar base of Devadia XX," Nick suggested, as  
the train suddenly shuddered to a halt, and its power went out.  
"What the Hell?" Jean-Luc Picard exclaimed, as he looked out the  
window. The tram's port side was facing towards Star Fleet Head  
Quarters. As the Commanding Admiral Starfleet watched, green beams of  
phaser fire shot down from the sky, obliterating it. Panic shot though  
the tram, as people sought an exit, afraid the tram would be next. In  
the confusion, the Admiral lost his footing and was trampled. His son,  
seeing his father go down, pressed himself up against the wall, allowing  
the panicked passengers to exit, jumping or being pushed out the port  
and starboard doors.  
  
Meanwhile up in orbit, three score warbirds had decloaked, first  
firing at set targets on earth; Star Fleet Command, San Francisco; UFP  
Congress Building, New York; Star Fleet Engineering Head Quarters,  
Riyadh; Federation Trade Center, Tokyo. The only major center of  
Federation Operation on Earth left alone was the new Star Fleet Medical  
Center in a small city in the Appalachian Mountains.  
Earth was not undefended, satellite defenses lit up the Romulan  
shields, and the Second Fleet was in orbit, firing as well. Normally  
Admiral Riker would command the fleet, but he was unreachable, probably  
dead, so Captain Geordi La Forge of the USS Nova was in command. He  
bore down on the Romulans hard, forcing them to back away from Earth.  
  
Earth wasn't the only place in the Terren System under attack by  
the Romulan Fleet, a dozen warbirds were heading toward Mars and Utopia  
Planitia Ship Yards. Commander McIvery activated all the workable ships  
in the yard, giving the senior most officer aboard command. She was on  
board the newest Nova Class, the Yorktown, but not in command. "Captain  
Riker, she's all yours," Adrain McIvery informed Deanna Riker.  
Commander McIvery didn't technically have the authority to place the  
ships she was in charge of building into service, but in a pinch like  
this, who was going to argue with her?  
  
Even with the 40 ships in the Second Fleet, and the dozen and a  
half more that Utopia had brought in, Star Fleet was still out numbered,  
58 to 72. The battle raged. Star Fleet had the advantage of being on  
their home turf, the Romulans the advantage of numbers.  
On the Martian front, things were going well. It was 3 to 2,  
Star Fleet, and none of the vessels that McIvery had activated heard the  
refrain of the Enterprise-B, "Not until Tuesday." The Nova class  
Starship Yorktown, a week short of commissioning, lead the way, pushing  
Romulans aside. It's phasers leaping out like a lion tamer's whip, the  
warbirds jumping back like the lion stung.  
The Hawaii swung around the rear of the advancing Romulans. She  
played with the famous Picard Maneuver, leaping from place to place,  
stinging the rears of the warbirds with volleys of photon torpedoes and  
phaser fire. The moons of Mars, bristling with phaser and photon  
torpedo emplacements, shot out, daring the Romulans to come closer.   
  
Back orbiting Earth, the odds were reversed. Captain La Forge  
and the Second Fleet were fighting a tough battle, already he had lost  
an Intrepid Class starship who had gotten caught in the crossfire of two  
Romulan vessels. True he had the support of the Moon, satellite  
defenses and Star Base One. But the satellite defenses had been thinned  
by the Romulan attack, and La Forge had a whole planet to protect.   
Captain Geordi La Forge had little experience in defending. He  
had spent most of his career as an Engineer on an exploratory vessel.  
Command to him was a recent change, he'd only been in the center seat  
for a little over a year, but the ship's commanders around him pushed  
him into the lead. Something about the mile long starship said, 'I  
command here.' And command it did, its phasers sent its targets  
retreating as La Forge pushed the Warbirds further from Earth. But that  
wasn't enough. The Nova and his two Ambassador class ships, the  
Virginia and the Ohio, where pushing them back. His ten Excelsiors  
where holding their own, but the rest where not, and La Forge knew that  
unless something changed, he'd be loosing them.  
  
Away from it all, in the Star Fleet Museum, the two dozen  
Lieutenant Commanders had noticed the battle. They wished they were  
inside the system, in the battle, gaining glory, instead of waiting  
here, away from it all.  
^L  
Chapter Four  
  
The Terran system was chaos, as the Romulans attacked. They  
pushed in again towards Earth, only the Nova, the Virginia, and the Ohio  
able to push them back. Around Mars, they were in trouble. The  
Yorktown and her unfinished cohorts nipping at thier heels. But the  
Romulans were winning.   
Out orbiting Uranus was the Star Fleet Muesem. It contained  
many exbits, the first hand phaser, the original Enterprise command  
chair, Captain Sulu's sword, and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard's Klingon  
dagger. But more importantly, it contained a dozen Starships, restored  
to the condition in witch they where lauched (except for the  
Enterprise-B, she was ready this time). Three Enterprises (A, B, and  
C), the Miranda, the Obeth, the Constellation, the Constitution and many  
more were kept in readness. Now for the first time in years, decades  
for some, they were headed into action.  
The officers waiting at the Muesem had gotten restless, and did  
not want to stand by and let Earth be taken. So they manned the muesem  
peices, and headed into battle. If they were damaged or destroyed in  
battle, it wouldn't matter. When Earth is under attack, it was freedom  
that mattered.  
  
Back on Earth, Nicholas Picard servayed what had been left  
behind when the passengers had abandoned the air tram. The tram was a  
mess, papers and containers torn and flung around the cabin. His father  
lay on the floor, a nasty gash on his forehead, the result of someones  
shoe, and breathing shollowly. Nick rushed to his father's side. He  
checked for a pluse and found a shallow one. Using his shirt, he bound  
his father's headwound. His father appeared to be unconscience and had  
lost allot of blood. His communicator was on the floor beside him,  
surprisingly in good condition.  
Nicholas opened a channel, "Picard to Medical Personnel, one  
injury, head wound, loss of blood problable concusion, possible broken  
ribs. Need immediate medical attention."  
From the communicator, a kind woman's voice came out, "Is the  
patient safe for transport?"  
"I think so," Nicholas responded.  
"Beaming you to Star Fleet Medical now."  
  
Meanwhile light years from Earth on the Wellington, Jay Gordon,  
acting Captain, was drawn out of his brooding over the loss of his  
parents by a urgent message from his tactical officer. "Sir, message  
from the Second Fleet," she said. "Earth is under attack, all  
assistance requested, Captain La Forge, USS Nova."  
Jay may have been in a depression, letting the ship go by, but  
once he knew a crisis was at hand, he moved smothly into his command  
mode. "Increase speed to maximum, go to red alert. Ready all weapons."  
No longer occuppied musing over might have beens and things he wished he  
had said to his parents, Jay was now wondering what was happening in the  
Terren System.  
  
Jay Gordon wasn't the only one heading toward Earth. Vice  
Admiral Sisko on the Defiant, and Captain Washington on the Stargazer  
were on coarse as well. Sisko was the one who had requested the people  
at the muesem. Washington was to command the Yorktown. The Earth's  
distress had been heard, and they were responding.   
  
Soon the Wellington, and its counterparts, the Clinton and the  
Undaunted, were coming out of warp near Earth. Jay's view screen down  
in Engineering showed a curious thing. Romulan Warbirds attacking Earth  
with thier tails being nipped by antique starships. Then in the midst  
of the battle the Defiant decloaked and opened fire. From behind the  
Moon, the Stargazer rose, a halo of fighters surounding her. From Mars,  
several incomplete starships came forth, phasers firing. As Jay's  
forces joined the fray, the tide of battle turned to Star Fleet's favor.  
Here on thier home turf, where almost every Star Fleet Officer had been  
taught, they now had the upper hand. As warbird after warbird colapsed  
under the pressure of the Star Fleet defenders, some tried to flee,  
forgeting for the moment, that thier shields had to drop before  
cloaking. They would never forget that again.  
  
As the last warbird departed from existance, however, a dire  
message came from the Nova, "Captain La Forge injured, who takes  
command?"   
Captain Jay Gordon, Marrissa's able second from the first fleet,  
asked, "Who commands your ship?" in a general hail. In response, the  
first fleet replied with the name of Commander after Commander. Not a  
single Captain was in command on any of the surviving 34 vessels in the  
Second Fleet. From the ships coming from Utopia, only Captain Deanna  
Riker replied. At that Admiral Sisko hailed all.  
"Vice Admiral Benjamin Sisko, USS Defiant," he said confidently.  
"I'd take command, but I'm afraid my stop here is temporary. As soon as  
those Commanders who stole the starships from the museum return them, I  
have to take them somewhere."  
"Understood, Admiral," Jay and Deanna responded in unison.  
"Captain Gordon, you serve as the First Fleet's X.O., correct?"  
Sisko asked.  
"As well as the Enterprise's first," Jay confirmed.  
"Then I suggest, you take command until the mess on Earth is  
sorted out," Sisko responded. "Defiant out."  
"Mister Wallace, inform all ships that I am assuming temporary  
command of the ships in the Terren System," Captain Jay Gordon ordered.  
"Inform Captain Troi that I will be beaming aboard the Yorktown. Find  
out who is in control on Earth, and let me know." Jay exited  
Engineering, his mind full of plans to get Earth back in shape.  
  
Light years away inside the nebula FGS-47, his sister was trying  
not to cry. She and her younger brother had just moved in to her  
brother and his wife's quarters. Jacqualynn Gordon was to share a room  
with Marrissa's sister Jacqualine, while her brother had a room to  
himself.   
"No I'm not going to cry," Lynn told herself, trying to restrain  
the tears threatening to flow as she put away her belongings. She  
remember where she had aquired each object and as she was only tweleve,  
most of them had memories associated with her parents. She toyed with  
the idea of hiding the belonging that reminding her of her dead parents  
the most. "No, I'm not going to be like my little brother." Her six  
year old brother Jeffery had spent the last couple hours with his head  
buried in his pillow crying his heart out.  
"And that would be a bad thing?" a voice came from the door.  
Lynn turned to see her sister in law, Marrissa standing at the door.  
"Yes, a big girl like me shouldn't cry," Lynn responded her eyes  
begining to fill despite her best efforts.  
"Where did you get that idea?" Marrissa asked gently, as she sat  
down beside her.  
"I'm a big girl, I can command..." Lynn began.  
"I know you're big," Marrissa responded. "But that doesn't stop  
you from having feelings. It's not good to hold them up inside you. I  
know, I've tried."  
"You have?" Lynn asked, tears now flowing freely.  
"You're not the only girl to lose both of your parents at a  
young age," Marrissa responded, gentle laying the crying girl back on  
her bed. "I lost my mother and father at age 12, as well."  
"You did?"  
"Yes, and I spent the next two months denining my grief and  
avoiding the Ship's Counselor," Marrissa told her. "I pinned all my  
emotions behind a tight wall and hid behind my new Star Fleet uniform  
and it's shiny ensign's pip. Clara tells me that I was murder to my  
Kid's crew during those months. But I still missed my parents and all  
the pinned up emotions did me no good."  
"What happened?"  
"Well, its always surprising to me what finally made me break  
down," Marrissa mused. "I had just won the ship's science fair for my  
age group for the third year in a row, which in no doubt endeared me to  
my classmates. My adopted father came down to present the awards and  
take the winners on the ship's tour. As he handed my blue ribbon to me  
he said, 'good job, daughter.' It was then that I finally realized  
that my parents were dead. I grabbed on to the poor Captain and cried  
my heart out. You can go on with life at warp 13, trying to forget, but  
eventually your emotions will catch up with you." Marrissa sighed  
As Marrissa finished, Lynn yawned. Her day had been rather  
tiring and now she needed a nap despite her age. "Marrissa?"  
"Yes Lynn."  
"Do you ever get over it?" Lynn yawned again, closing her eyes  
Marrissa mused over the statement before replying, "No, not  
entirely." But Marrissa had waited too long. Lynn was asleep. Marrissa  
pulled the blanket over Lynn, kissed her on the forehead and left the  
room, thinking about her own parents.  
^L  
Chapter Five  
  
Nickolas Picard paced nerviously outside the room where they  
worked on his father. Fleet Admiral Jean-Luc Picard had lost a lot of  
blood, had a concusion, and several broken ribs. He noticed that things  
had gotten a lot less frantic since he had arrived. Then the Medical  
Center had been a busle of activity, injuries coming in from around the  
world. Now things were quieting. Pateints were being moved to rooms,  
and the busle around the operating rooms had quieted. He remembered the  
arguements his parents had over the size of this new hospital. He was  
willing to bet that his father would have no problems with a two billion  
bed hospital now.  
From the operating room an exprienced doctor emerged, her hair,  
once blond now graying. As she approached, Nick looked up expectantly.  
"Nicholas Picard?" the same voice that had greeted his request for  
assistance asked. His face took on a look of dread as the doctor  
approached.  
"I'm Doctor Kate Pulaski," she introduced herself. "You father  
is going to be fine."  
"Can I see him?"  
"In a little bit, we are moving him to a privite room," Pulaski  
responded. "He should sleep for the next 24 hours, and he will have to  
take it easy for the next couple of months."  
"If you'll releive him of duty, I'll make sure he can't lift a  
finger," Nicholas responded, dutifully.  
"You can do that?" Pulaski replied. "I didn't know anyone could  
restrain him. I had the devil of a time when I was his CMO."  
"You served with my father?" Nick responded, interested.  
"Oh, yes, on board the old Enterprise-D while your mother was  
off commanding Star Fleet Medical," Pulaski informed. "Now how does one  
get old Jean-Luc Picard to restrain himself?"  
"I just tell him that I'll tell mother," Nick replied.  
As he completed the comment Laxwanna Troi entered, rushing over  
to Nick's side. "Nicholas, where is your father, the Computer said he  
was here."  
"Fleet Admiral Picard has been releived of duty," Doctor Pulaski  
responded for Nick.  
"I must see him," Laxwanna responded trying to push her way  
past.  
"He must get his rest, and I have restricted visitors to family  
members, hospital wide," Doctor Pulaski said firmly playing the  
unmoveable object to Laxwanna's unstoppable force. "Even if you where  
the President of the Federation on urget business you couldn't get into  
see him."  
"That is what I am," Laxwanna responded. "Captain Jay Gordon  
has asked who commands now that Star Fleet Head Quarters is gone. I  
must find out who that is."  
"When did Inno die?" Pulaski asked.  
"I assume when the Congress building was blown up by the  
Romulans while he was giving the state of the union address," Laxwanna  
responded. "In any case, I'm now president and I'd like to know who  
commands this war we're in."  
"My father keeps a list of people that he believes could replace  
him in the upper left compartment of his desk drawer back in the  
vineyard house," Nick informed. "Since the Doctor says that my father  
will be out for how long?"  
"A month if he is good, two if not," Pulaski responded.  
"Ah, just in time to see my sister give birth," Nick remarked.  
"Jay has a key, you can get him and find out my father's  
recommendations. Doctor Pulaski, can I go see my father now?"  
"I'll take you there," Pulaski said, as President Laxwanna Troi  
rushed out of the hospital.  
  
Captain Jay Gordon and Captain Deanna Riker met the new  
President of the Federation outside the Picard Vineyard House. The two  
Captains were a study in contrasts. Jay was a tall blond man who had a  
note of sadness around him. Deanna Riker was short with dark hair and  
bubbling with left over enthusiasm from the battle.  
"Good morning Captain, Little One," Laxwanna said, striding up  
to the Captains.  
"Good morning," Jay responded. Deanna replied only with a short  
glare, she hated the nickname her mother called her, and wished her  
mother would stop calling her that. "Let us go in." Jay palmed open  
the lock and opened the door for the ladies.  
"Captain, Nicholas said the document we needed is in upper left  
compartment of Jean-Luc's desk drawer," the President informed.  
"I know the document in question," Jay replied, going over to  
the desk and removing a single peice of parchment. "My father-in-law  
thought parchment would be appropriate for this document." He handed  
the singlely folded paper to President Troi.  
Laxwanna unfolded the sheet and began reading the twenty names  
and postings. She passed name after name who she knew were dead. She  
came to number five, and remembered the bad news she had to deliver.  
"Vice Admiral William T. Riker," she sighed. As she noticed her  
daughter brightening, she took the plung. "I'm sure rather hear it from  
me than have some Lieutenant come to your door. Deanna, I'm afraid Will  
was inside Star Fleet Command when it blew up."  
"Are you sure?" Deanna asked as tears filled her eyes.  
"I wish I wasn't, Little One," Laxwanna replied taking her lone  
daughter into her arms. "Jay, only one of these people is still alive.  
Would you mind arranging a secure channel to your wife." By this time,  
Deanna had completely let go in the protection of her mother's arms and  
was crying softly.  
Jay understood Deanna Riker's grief, so he took the paper from  
the president and when into the next room where he double checked the  
communication station's security like he had learned from his young  
sister-in-law Jackie. As everything checked out, he then went to the  
wine cellar and picked out some of the '67. He knew that that had been  
an average year and he didn't think that a good year would be  
appreciated or he would have gotten some of the '63 with it's label  
commemorating the owner, Marise Picard's son recieving command of the  
Federation Flagship. He suppected that the '83 would be receiving a  
similar label.  
Then he reentered the room, carrying a tray with the wine and  
three glasses on it. "A little wine for your sorrows," Jay suggested as  
Deanna pulled herself away from her mother. She accepted the glass.  
Jay pored one for the President as well. "Mrs. President the  
communicator is sent in the next room. Just press the button labeled  
Marrissa."  
"Is it secure?" Laxwanna Troi asked.  
"Unless someone else has sampled Jackie's DNA, yes," Jay  
responded, sipping at his own glass of wine.   
  
Marrissa had just put Jeffery to bed when the call came in. It  
being gamma shift, Clara was in command, and was her that informed  
Marrissa of the call, "Message incoming on secured frequency 49. It's  
coded as personnel prority one contact from Commanding Admiral Star  
Fleet." 49 was the low admiral personal contact frequency, similar to  
47, Captain's Personal.  
"Pipe it down here, Clara," Marrissa responded, bringing up her  
view screen.  
"Aye sir."  
"Prority One authorization J required," the computer informed.  
The new authorization scemes in Star Fleet for this war had been named  
according to thier inventor's first name. J stood for Marrissa's sister  
Jacqualine.  
"Marrissa, file 1 0 1 3 5, level two alpha, command Enterprise,"  
Marrissa replied, placing her hand on the authorization padd.  
"Authorization confirmed, standby for incoming communication,"  
the computer responded.  
The Star Fleet Logo was replaced with the vistage of Laxwanna  
Troi. In the background the Picard Family Vineyard House's dinning room  
could be made out. "Admiral Marrisa Picard, I regret to inform you that  
Earth has been attacked. While we have fought them off, many places on  
Earth have been destroyed. President Inno died addressing the  
Federation Congress, making me President."  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Madem President," Marrissa responded,  
begining to suspect bad news was emanate.  
"Thank you Admiral," Troi responded. "Star Fleet Command was  
also destroyed." Marrissa took in a deep breath, her mind racing.  
"Fortunately, the Fleet Admiral was not inside. However, he was injured  
in the insueing panic and will be out of commission for the next month  
or two."  
"How is he?" Marrissa inquired.  
"I'm told he is resting quietly," Laxwanna responed, "but that  
is not why I called you. With Jean-Luc out of commission, I must  
appoint an acting Commanding Admiral, Star Fleet to act until he can  
return to duty. I have here his recommendations for just such an event.  
You are my only choice."  
"Surely there are others," Marrissa demurred. "I happen to know  
that I'm twentith on that list."  
"All the others are dead," Troi responded. "I will be making an  
announcement of your new position after I am publicly sworn in. I'm  
told that will happen sometime around noon, Greenwich Meen Time."  
"Send out a general order announcing it around the same time,"  
Marrissa informed. "That will make it official."  
"Thank you Marrissa, Troi out."  
  
Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Excelsior came out of warp with  
his detachment of five starships. The system which held Romulan  
Starbase 17, normally held a score of ships for it's defense. A  
prevoius attack by all forty starships in the first fleet, of which the  
Excelsior was a part, had dropped that number to a dozen, before  
reinforcements arrived. Only those were gaurding the system when the  
Excelsior made it's attack run.  
It was a hit and run attack. Sulu hitting the starbase and  
gloating them into following him. Six followed the Excelsoir and it's  
cohorts out of the system. The warbirds steadfastly resisted losing the  
Starfleet vessels, not that they were trying hard to lose them.   
^L  
Chapter Six  
  
In a couple of hours Captain Jay Gordon would be shipping out on  
the Hawaii with her new Captain, Deanna Troi. (With her husband's death  
she had shifted back to her maiden name.) T'Gwen Washington had  
assumed command of the Fleet at Earth until Captain La Forge was ready  
to return to duty, and had been made a Rear Admiral by Marrissa.  
Marrissa, upon assuming command of Star Fleet, had be promoted to full  
Admiral and was directing the war from her position somewhere along  
Romulan Space. He would be rejoining the fleet at Essex. Meanwhile he  
had something to take care of on the Wellington.  
When the door to his parents quarters on the Wellington opened,  
familer sights greeted him. He hadn't lived with his parents since he  
left for the Academy at fourteen, and then his parents were living on  
the Independence. Never the less, the quarters had the same feel of  
home, a feeling he had tried to envoke on the Enterprise. It was mostly  
standard furnature, with the exception of his mother's rocking chair,  
but still the memory was there.  
He had come to pack up all the belongings, sorting out those  
that were to go to the Enterprise, mostly those of his little brother  
and sister Lynn. The rest he'd put in storage on Essex in his wife's  
castle basement, the dungeon she like to call it. He'd promised himself  
he wouldn't cry, and he made a valiant effort, until he came to his  
parents' room.  
The last time he had visited them, and he had stayed out of the  
quarters on his way to Earth, the rocking chair had been opposite his  
parent's bed. Now it was partially packed in a packing case. On the  
bedside table was a note in his mother's handwriting. Jay's eyes filled  
with tears as he began reading.  
Dear Jay,  
As your wife's time grows near, I feel it is time to  
pass on the family  
rocking chair. I know you'll problably insist I keep it, but  
thier comes a time  
when you must pass on such traditions. This chair has been in  
the Gordon  
family for centuries. Your grandma Gordon gave it to me just  
before I had   
you, and said she got it from Great Grandma Gordon before she  
had your  
father. Now it's your turn. Just don't name your child Morgan,  
I know all  
the ribbing your father went though with that name.  
Love,  
Mom  
Jay's tears flowed freely, letting go as he mechanicly finished  
packing. Soon everything was in order. His younger siblings's stuff  
and the rocking chair were ready to beam to the Hawaii. While the rest  
would be taken to Essex later on a feighter. He used his right sleeve  
to dry his face and shakenly ordered, "Captain Jay Gordon to Hawaii, one  
person and cargo to beam up."  
  
Lynn was finishing up, between the tears, her arrangement of her  
belongings in her new room that she shared with Jackie. She hadn't seen  
Jackie since she moved in, but Jackie's bed had been sleep in. Lynn  
made the bed for her. Lynn liked things to be tity. She decided, that  
for the moment, the family picture was just too painful. Instead, she  
placed a picture of herself, her older brother Jay, her older sister  
Jessica, and her younger brother Jeffery, taken just before Jay had  
received his promotion to Captain next to her bed.  
"You didn't need to make the bed," Jackie commented as she  
entered the room.  
"I can't stand an unmade bed," Lynn shrugged.  
"I would have made it, but Commander Sutter-Rozhenko had a  
problem that needed my attention," Jackie responded. "Rule number 14 of  
being an officer on a starship, they'll always wake you up early when  
you stayed up late."  
"Then don't stay up late," Lynn suggested.  
"I stayed up late fixing another problem," Jackie replied.  
"That reminds me, Marrissa wants me to set up a Kid's crew on the  
Enterprise. Apparently my time is higher than the other children on  
board."  
"Not that hard, mines only 15:14.234" Lynn responded.   
"Then I beat you by a hundredth of a second," Jackie replied.  
"Anyway, do you have any suggestions on how to start?"  
"You're asking me?" Lynn responded. Jackie gave an of course  
shrug. "I inherited my crew from my sister Jessica. She might have an  
idea, lets go ask her."  
"I don't think we want to do that," Jackie replied. At Lynn's  
look of askance, Jackie continued. "She hasn't been in the best of  
moods lately. I ran into a couple of the pilots from her squadron.  
She's ridding them hard."  
"Jess, ridding them hard?" Lynn exclaimed. "I didn't think  
their was a mean bone in her body ... with the exception of what ever  
makes her ignore me and my little brother."  
"She ignores you?" Jackie inquired. Jackie's siblings had  
always been attentive, so this was something new to her. "How could  
she, she's your sister.""There is four years difference and she's never  
taken the time to get to know me," Lynn responded.  
"There is thirteen between me and Marrissa, and twenty-three  
between me and Wesley," Jackie replied. "They've always listened to  
me."  
"Lynn, Jackie, a word with you please," Marrissa called from the  
next room. The two came rushing in. "Any progress on the kid's crew  
front?"  
"Not really," Jackie responded. "I was hoping Lynn would have  
some ideas, but she inherited her crew."  
"I'll then I suggest a good place to start may be your  
teachers," Marrissa stated. "They know who is good at what. and who is  
fascinated with this and that. They are an excellent starting place.  
But, that's not why I called you. Jacquelyn Christine Gordon. Your  
actions in battle have come to my attention. It is my opinion as Kid's  
Crew Supervising Officer, that you deserve an Ensign's rank. As  
Commanding Admiral, Star Fleet, I'm happy to give you one."  
"Thank you, Admiral," Lynn responded. "I hope I can live up to  
your expectations."  
"I'm sure you will, Lynn," Marrissa replied.  
  
Martin Sussex, Ship's Counselor, walked into Sickbay for his  
weekly meeting with Doctor Johnson. The Earl Floras was about 5' 10" in  
height and of a medium build. He wore Starfleet Medical blue, although  
regulations allowed him great freedom in attire. He brushed back a  
stray blond hair, and called out, "Doctor, are you ready for our meeting  
yet," after noting the vacant office.  
"Hold your horses, Martin," the Doctor called from the lab.  
"I'll be out in a moment." The Doctor exited the lab, and hung his lab  
coat on the coat rack outside his office.  
"Still trying to cure the incurable?" Martin asked.  
"Actually I was making sugar candy for the younguns," Doctor  
Jackson Johnson responded. "If they know there is a reward, they're  
much more cooperative. What's first on the agenda?"  
"Let's start with Marrissa's situation," Martin suggested. "How  
are those two children she just acquired."  
"Physically they are OK," the Doctor responded. "Jeffery was  
quit fascinated with my equipment. I promised to give him a tour  
sometime. Jacquelynn, I think she goes by Lynn," Martin confirmed this  
with a nod, "seemed preoccupied. She seemed also to be neglecting  
herself a little. Her hair had a couple tangles."  
"I think Lynn is dealing with her grief like Jay's been known to  
do," Martin responded.  
"How's that?" Jackson inquired.  
"Retreating from the world, holing up, isolating ones self from  
the world," Martin enumerated. "You remember how Jay was when he  
thought the Captain was dead seven months ago."  
"I do remember trying to find him for the physical, which he  
needs again," Jackson responded. "I assume you have a plan to keep  
little Lynn from following in her brother's path."  
"Yes, I've asked Marrissa to talk to her, as she had a similar  
experience," Martin informed. "And the Admiral is also looking for some  
activity to get her out of the quarters."  
"Admiral Picard had a similar experience?" Doctor Johnson  
inquired. "I wasn't aware of it."  
"It was before your time, and mine as well," Martin informed the  
doctor. "I only know it from her record and what Clara told me. It  
seems that during the time that Marrissa first took command of the  
saucer on the old Enterprise-D, both her parents died on some classified  
mission. Shortly there after, then Captain Jean-Luc Picard adopted her.  
I'm told that Marrissa was absolute hell on her Kid's Crew for the next  
couple months."  
"Speaking of hell, what about Lieutenant Jessica Gordon?" Doctor  
Johnson asked.  
"Well, I'd say the squadron commander is doing the opposite of  
her younger sister's reaction," Martin responded. "She seems to be  
throwing herself into her work. In the process she is pushing her  
squadron to the limit."  
"A little time off might be in order," Johnson responded.  
"Possible, but I think a temporary reassignment may be better,"  
Martin Sussex responded. "She needs something to occupy her time, but  
not so involved.""Forward the suggestion to Admiral Picard for the  
temporary reassignment," Doctor Johnson advised. "Now what about Ensign  
Greer ..."  
  
Jackie and Lynn were going over the reports that the  
Enterprise's teachers had supplied them. There were 26 children over  
the age of 5, which was the minimum age for kid's crews. The two  
residents of the Captain's quarters were the only two who had their  
command credentials among them.  
"I don't think we can do much more than make a bridge crew  
rotation," Lynn remarked.  
"We can do more than that," Jackie responded, pushing back her  
red hair. "We've got some good people security wise, and the triplets  
seem to each fill a role on our bridge."  
"I agree, lets see if we can make a shift with them," Lynn  
responded. "Beverly for Engineering, Deanna at Operations, and station  
Tasha at tactical. That just leaves a helmsman, and a command officer."  
"How about Jeffrey?" Jackie replied. "He's got good reflexes."  
"It will get him out of his room," Lynn remarked. "But I've  
never been able to find a place for him before. He does OK where ever I  
place him, but lacks enthusiasm."  
"Red Alert, All hands to Battle stations," the computer  
interupted.  
"So much for planning," Jackie remarked. "I've got to get down  
to system monitoring."  
"See you later," Lynn replied.  
  
Earlier down in Sickbay, Doctor Jackson Johnson was showing  
little Jeffrey Gordon around, as promised. The little six-year-old ate  
the doctor's words up like candy. He seemed interested in everything  
that the doctor said, and knew more than the doctor expected.  
"This is the isolation ward," Doctor Johnson explained.   
"Capable of keeping fifty people insolated from each other while  
still allowing treatment," Jeffery responded.  
"Yes, how did you know that?" the Doctor inquired.  
"I had Jackie pull up the stats for me last night," Jeffery  
responded.  
"Lets see what else you know," Johnson asked. "You can give me  
the tour." Jeffery proceeded to give the tour, with only a couple  
corrections from Doctor Johnson.  
"Amazing, you seem to have a real interest in Medicine," a nurse  
commented as they concluded the tour.  
  
Romulan Starbase Five was in Captain Demora Sulu of the  
Ambassador Class Starship Osaka's sights. With only five starships, she  
didn't expect to over run it's dozen defenders. But that wasn't her  
goal. The Osaka and her companions charged into the system, striking  
ships as they passed.  
One lucky shot hit a warbird, sending it up in flames. Then out  
again, Demora sent her ships. Off to Essex, six warbirds following, she  
sped. A half a dozen warbirds followed, nipping at her heels. A  
convincing show of attempted evasion was given, as they lep across the  
old Nuetral Zone.  
^L  
Chapter Seven  
  
The Enterprise warped towards Romulan Starbase 9. Normally she  
would have been surrounded by her fleet of 40 ships. But the Lionheart  
was gone; the Wellington and two others were awaiting repair at Utopia.  
She had started out short one from an early attack on this base. The  
Wellington and its cohorts would be back in week, and the Hawaii would  
be waiting for her at Essex, so it wasn't permanent. However that  
wasn't all she was missing. The Excelsior had detached with 4 others,  
and the Osaka with 4 more to run a little distraction. So Marrissa had  
only 25 ships against a base which she had failed to destroy with more.  
That didn't bother Marrissa. She knew she had worn this strech  
of Romulan Space down more than it had her. And anyway she didn't plan  
to destroy it. She planned to capture it.  
  
As she came out of warp, just five ships were detected in the  
system. The Enterprise and her cohorts plotted a coarse past them.  
They went by fast, and firing. One by one the the Romulan ships  
exploded under the fire of the score and five Star Fleet vessels.  
Afterwards they surrounded the pristine Romulan Starbase. Marrissa  
opened a channel.  
"This is Admiral Marrissa Amber Picard of the USS Enterprise,"  
she announced. "We demand your immediate and unconditional surrender or  
we will open fire."  
"This is Admiral Sivics of the Romulan Starbase 9," was the  
reply. "Withdraw at once or be destroyed."  
"I think not."  
"Oh really, your homeworld is in flames, your goverment in  
ashes. Your second fleet destroyed."  
"Really. True, Earth was attacked, but the second fleet is  
alive and well. As for the other effects in Star Fleet, well the  
Romulans worst nightmare just happened."  
"You're in command of Star Fleet?!?!"  
"Why yes, for the next couple months. You care to surrender?"  
"No."  
"That's OK, Admiral Sivisc. We'll just take your starbase over  
with out you. Enterprise out."  
  
"Shayna, status of our troops?" Marrissa asked, settling back  
into her chair.  
"All five thousand have been sucessfully transported aboard,"  
Shayna responded. "Shall I inquire as to thier progress?"  
"Please."  
"75 percent of the base sercure. They are readying to take the  
Command Center."  
"Admiral Sivisc is hailing us again," Alexander reported.  
"On screen," Marrissa ordered. The Romulan Admiral appeared.  
"Forget something, Admiral?"  
"I demand you withdraw your troops immediately," Sivisc  
demanded. "If you don't I will destroy this base with your troops on  
it."  
"Go ahead," Marrissa replied, in a cold daring tone.  
"Computer set self-distruct," Sivisc ordered, placing his hand  
on a nearby panel. "Authorization, Sivisc Primus Command Delta One Four  
One Distruct."  
The Romulan Computer responded in a deep bass, "Insufficiant  
authorization."  
"What!" the Admiral exclaimed over the still open channel.  
"This isn't your day is it?" Marrissa observed.  
"Computer, terminate communication and explain last response."  
The computer replied, but not in the deep bass it had earlier,  
but in the alto like Star Fleet's computers, "Unable to comply, peer has  
canceled request. Prisoners are not allowed access to Star Fleet  
Computers." Admiral Sivisc began trembling with barely contained anger.  
At that Security Officers burst into the room. They quickly  
disarmed the Romulans and escorted them out. Commander Wesley Crusher  
entered the room and addressed Admiral Marrissa Picard, "Admiral we have  
complete control of the starbase."  
"What does Jackie say about the computer systems?" Marrissa  
asked.  
"The're ok for now, but give her a couple days to finish up the  
details," Wesley replied. "I don't know why you let little'sis go on  
this mission."  
"Simple Wes, she was the best person for the job," Marrissa  
responded. "You now have command of that starbase, which we will call  
Starbase Rome One. Congraduations, Commander."  
"Thank you, Commander Crusher out."  
^L  
Chapter Eight  
  
Marrissa was going though some of the paper work that came with  
the job of Commanding Admiral, Star Fleet. She had a staff assigned to  
help her by Quartermaster Mary, daughter of Guinan, which made things  
easier, but thier was still a lot of paperwork. There was an request  
from Captain LaForge, asking for a commanding officer to be assigned to  
the second fleet, since Admiral Riker was dead.  
That was one she could handle rather quickly. "Computer open a  
secured channel to Captain Geordi LaForge, Commanding Officer, USS  
Nova."  
After a moment, Captain LaForge appeared on her desk screen,  
apparently in his ready room. "Captain LaForge, USS Nova, how can I  
help you Admiral?"  
"By taking command of your fleet," Marrissa responded. "I'm  
restoring the rank of Commadore, and appointing you to that rank."  
"Admiral, I respectfully request that you find someone else,"  
LaForge responded. "I've only been a Captain for nine months, and I'm  
an Engineer anyway. The only reason I got command of the Nova was  
because it was the first off the line, and they always assign an  
Engineer to command the first off the line."  
"I know, Commadore, but you have shown yourself to be more that  
adequate as a Commanding Officer of a Starship," Marrissa responded.  
"Of a starship, commanding starships and commanding fleets are  
two differant things," LaForge replied.  
"I know, but you've shown that you can do that too," Admiral  
Marrissa Picard replied. "So take command ... or you'll find out why  
some of my less that adequate officers refer to me as 'the Royal  
Terror.' Starfleet out."  
  
Captain Jay Gordon was about to enter his quarters on board the  
Enterprise. It had been a long trip back from Earth. Captain Troi had  
assisted the Excelsior and the Osaka in clearing up some Romulans who  
had tailed them to Essex on the way in. Who would have thought that a  
former Ship's Conselor would be such a good Commanding Officer? In any  
case, he had snuck back aboard the Enterprise, stopping only to make  
sure the rocking chair made it aboard.   
The door opened. His wife was sitting on a chair, facing  
away from the door. On the sofa was his little brother Jeffery,  
listening to the story Marrissa was reading. Jeffery's eyes went wide,  
and he was about to say something when Jay placed his finger across his  
lip. Jeffery nodded slightly. Jay gently set down his duffle and  
approached Marrissa from behind. "Guess who?" he asked as he covered  
her eyes, stopping the story.  
"Jay!" Marrissa exclaimed, removing his hands and standing up to  
embrace her husband.  
"Miss me?" Jay asked as Jeffery joined thier hug.  
"Of coarse," Marrissa replied.  
"You're back," came a call from the girls room. The blond  
owner, Jacquelynn Gordon, rushed from the room to greet her older  
brother. Behind her at a much slower pace came his wife's sister Jackie  
Picard.  
"We seem to have aquired a family while I was gone," Jay  
remarked, breaking off from the embrace and steering his wife over to  
the loveseat. The rest of the family returned to thier rooms to get  
ready for bed.  
"It's good practice," Marrissa commented, her hand on her  
growing belly."Come up with any new names?" Jay asked.  
"Well for a boy we agreed on Louis Andrew," Marrissa reminded.  
"I still think that Sara would be a good name for a girl."  
"You do realize that means princess," Jay remarked. "Princess  
Sara is redunt."  
"Unless I become Queen, she won't be a princess," Marrissa  
stated. "It's an old rule, but no one is going to change it."  
"OK, I'll relent if you agree to follow the Gordon family middle  
naming sceme," Jay responded. "Alara would be a nice one."  
"Agreed," Marrissa responded. "I wonder if Clara and Alex have  
settled on a name yet."  
"I doubt it," Jackie responded. "I heard them arguing about it  
on the way back from the Computer Core. By the way Marrissa, I've  
finished forming the Kid's Crew you asked for. I'd like to be able to  
reserve some holodeck time for training, but Commander Lochard has them  
all booked solid for the next two weeks."  
"I'll see if I can get her to cede some time to you," Marrissa  
replied.  
"So you have a higher time than Lynn," Jay commented. "Some how  
I'm surprised."  
"It's just by a hundredth of a second, brother," Lynn remarked.  
"And she's welcome to the pressures of command. I'm too busy learning  
about being an officer."  
Jay looked at his wife. "So you gave her the full rank," he  
queried.  
"She did sucessfully command the Wellington during battle,"  
Marrissa defended. "That's not easy to do, especially under the  
circumstances."  
"You don't intend for anyone to have a childhood, do you?" Jay  
asked.  
"She's almost thirteen," Marrissa justified. "I had just turned  
12 when I got my rank."  
"Yeah, Jay," Lynn chimed in. "You had been an ensign four  
months when you were my age. It's not like I've spent my last five  
years trying to get into Star Fleet like someone I know."  
"That's not fair," Jackie chimed in. "I come from a very  
competive family."  
"And you worship your sister like a god," Jay responded. Jackie  
slumped. "Don't worry, we still love you despite that." He ruffed his  
sister-in-laws hair which annoyed her.  
"Don't pick on my little sister," Marrissa defended. "If she  
wants to follow in my footsteps, I don't mind. It does look like you're  
chosing your own path now though, Jackie."  
"Programming is fun. Chasing down bugs and security breaches is  
almost a game," Jackie remarked. "I still want to command though."  
"You two are too alike," Jay commented, about Jackie and his  
wife. "What does it take to get you two not to enjoy your duties?"  
"I refuse to answer that question, on the grounds that it may  
cause future problems," Marrissa replied. "As Commanding Admiral  
Starfleet, you can't order me."  
"Just once, I'd like to out rank you," Jay responded. "Well  
Jackie, do you have an answer."  
"I haven't encountered anything yet, but I'm only twelve and  
I've only been in StarFleet six months," Jackie answered. "Ask me again  
in a couple of years."  
^L  
Epilogue  
  
With the capture of Romulan Starbase Nine, the tide of the war  
had turned. From then on StarFleet held the upperhand. It was  
sometimes a shaky upper hand, but they held it.   
Admiral Marrissa Amber Picard held command of StarFleet for the  
next two months. When her baby was born, she turned StarFleet over to  
her father once again. Before that happened, one last hurtle had to be  
over come.  
The Klingons do not often stay out of wars. As Marrissa began  
her systematic takeover of the Romulan Star Empire, they were debating  
which side to join. The Cardassians had been about to join the  
Federation at the time of the war's opening. They were debating thier  
position as well.  
That story will be told in Return to Glory, along with further  
adventures of our intrepid commander of the USS Enterprise.  
  
Proffessor John P. Hereomise III  
Proffessor of 24th Century History  
University of Alpha-Beta Hidroxide University  
August 20, 2456  
  
  



End file.
